Page 2 - Sheikh Hasina

BNP heads for decisive victory in Bangladesh's parliamentary election

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday appeared headed for a decisive victory in the South Asian nation's general elections as counting progressed for the polls to elect a government that would replace the interim administration, which took charge after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024. Multiple media tallies showed the BNP had won more than 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament. The Election Commission (EC) is yet to make a formal announcement. An EC spokesperson said the results in several seats were still being processed and were likely to be announced in a few hours. The election was seen as a direct contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League. The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has been in place for 18 months. The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held along with a referendum on the implementation of a complex 84-point reform packag

Bangladesh holds polls, referendum after 2024 upheaval, results on Friday

Bangladesh citizens on Thursday voted in parliamentary elections and a referendum on reforms nearly 18 months after the July 2024 student-led movement that ousted the Sheikh Hasina government

Bangladesh begins voting in crucial polls as 51 parties compete for power

The Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements, deploying nearly 1 million security personnel -- the largest-ever in the country's electoral history

Bangladesh elections: All you need to know about key players, parties

The BNP, led by Tarique Rahman, and the Jamaat-e-Islami are seen as frontrunners, with the student-led NCP in distant third. The Awami League is barred from contesting

Bangladesh heads to polls on Feb 12: Why the outcome matters for India

Bangladesh votes on February 12 in its first election since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government; the outcome could shape political stability and ties with India

Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 10 yrs in jail for corruption

A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project. Dhaka Special Judge's Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years' imprisonment - five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported. The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol. The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm. Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years' imprisonment - two years in each case - while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in both cases. Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was ...

Sheikh Hasina slams Bangladesh's upcoming election from her exile in India

From her exile in India, Bangladesh's ousted leader Sheikh Hasina has slammed the country's upcoming election after her party was barred from the polls, remarks that could deepen tensions ahead of the pivotal vote next month. Hasina, who was sentenced to death for her crackdown on a student uprising in 2024 that killed hundreds of people and led to the toppling of her 15-year rule, warned in an email to The Associated Press last week that without inclusive and free and fair elections, Bangladesh will face prolonged instability. She also claimed that Bangladesh's interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus deliberately disenfranchised millions of her supporters by excluding her party - the former ruling Awami League - from the election. "Each time political participation is denied to a significant portion of the population, it deepens resentment, delegitimizes institutions and creates the conditions for future instability," she wrote. "A government born of ..

Sheikh Hasina seeks UN probe into B'desh unrest, calls for Yunus' removal

The Awami League leader also sought an iron-clad guarantee for the safety of religious minority groups, women and girls and vulnerable sections of the society

Campaigning begins in Bangladesh for first polls after Hasina's ouster

There are also concerns about the country's law and order situation, but the government says it will keep the voting peaceful

Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina urges unity in New Year message

Expressing hope for renewal, she added, May it wipe away the sorrows and afflictions of the past, correct mistakes and shortcomings, and become a memorable year for everyone

'A profound loss': Sheikh Hasina condoles death of former rival Khaleda Zia

The 78-year-old Awami League leader highlighted her role as Bangladesh's first woman prime minister and her contributions to the struggle to establish democracy

Khaleda Zia: From political widow to Bangladesh's 1st woman prime minister

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first woman PM, entered politics after her husband's assassination and went on to lead the BNP through protest, power and prolonged confrontation

Ties with India witness a downturn as Bangladesh navigates turbulent 2025

Bangladesh's ties with India witnessed a downturn as it navigated a turbulent 2025 marked by political instability, economic strain and alleged persecution of minorities, leading to a diplomatic tussle between the two neighbours. The relationship between India and Bangladesh hit a rough note after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests. She was sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal this year for her alleged role in a deadly crackdown during the agitation. Dhaka summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma five times over various issues, while India summoned Bangladesh's High Commissioner Reaz Hamidullah once to express concerns over security in Bangladesh. The transition, from what was widely regarded as an "India-friendly" Awami League government to Muhammad Yunus-led interim dispensation, significantly altered Bangladesh's diplomatic posture. Dhaka's engagement with Islamabad to deepen ties ..

US lawmakers express concern over ban of Bangladesh's Awami League party

A group of US lawmakers has expressed concern over the total ban of the Awami League political party ahead of elections scheduled in Bangladesh early next year. The lawmakers have said that the Bangladeshi people deserve to be able to choose an elected government in a free and fair election. Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Representative Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia Representative Bill Huizenga, Ranking Member Subcommittee on South and Central Asia Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Member of Congress Julie Johnson on Tuesday sent a letter to Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh Mohammed Yunus expressing concern over the total ban of a political party ahead of elections in February. The letter's cosigners include Representative Tom Suozzi. The lawmakers said that it is vital that the interim government work with parties across the political spectrum to create the conditions for free and fair elections that allow

Bangladesh summons Indian envoy over security concerns at Delhi mission

The move follows protests outside Bangladesh missions in India; the Siliguri visa centre was vandalised on December 22, while a protest was held outside the high commission in Delhi on December 20

Sheikh Hasina blames Yunus govt for violence, says lawlessness multiplied

Sheikh Hasina said that the killing of Osman Hadi was a reflection of the lawlessness under the present interim government

Bangladesh on edge after Osman Hadi's death: Here's what happened so far

Hadi, a likely candidate in the upcoming February 12 general elections next year, died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore after being shot almost a week earlier

Bangladesh envoy summoned after threat to Indian High Commission in Dhaka

India summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah after a threat was received by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka

Global politics in 2025: Protests, peace deals and shifting alliances

Nepal's Gen-Z protests, a fragile Gaza ceasefire and Donald Trump's return reshaped global politics in 2025, as nations grappled with unrest, wars and shifting alliances

Ties with Bangladesh 'not transient': Indian envoy after being summoned

Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma on Sunday said New Delhi's relations with Dhaka are not transient but "everlasting", hours after Bangladesh's foreign office summoned him to express its "serious concern" over "incendiary statements" made by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India. Hasina, 78, fled to India in August last year after her Awami League government was toppled in a violent student-led street protest and continues to stay there. She was sentenced to death by a special tribunal last month after being convicted on charges of crimes against humanity. Bangladesh has been demanding her extradition. "The bonds we share with Bangladesh are not transient; they are everlasting. A relationship forged in blood and sacrifice cannot be weakened, the envoy said, joining an event hosted by academic and cultural group Itihash O Oitijjo Parishad. Verma said India stood with the people of Bangladesh during its 1971 Liberation War and would continue to support t